Smaller mid-century ranch homes abound on the flat, quiet streets of Ann Arbor’s relatively affordable and family-friendly Abbot neighborhood on the northwest side with pockets of million-dollar spreads in the tony twenty-year-old Walnut Ridge subdivision. Veterans Memorial Park offers an outdoor pool in spring and summer and an indoor ice arena in the fall and winter, along with a 30,000-square-foot skatepark. North and west of M-14, newer rural residential development mixes with farmland between Wagner and Zeeb; these Scio Twp. lots are typically big enough to require a riding lawn mower.

Around the school itself, the Hollywood Park subdivision, named for a three-acre park adjacent to school grounds, is close to highway access ramps and the commercial strip along Maple and Stadium, which includes two groceries: upscale Plum Market and discount ALDI. A major apartment complex, 328-unit Arbor Landings, is discreetly tucked away off Dexter Rd. west of Maple; on Maple itself, the latest phase of the Maple Cove complex continues its march southward toward Miller. At its westernmost point, Abbot’s district dips south of Jackson Ave. to take in most of the Scio Farms manufactured home community (a few blocks in this community are assigned to Haisley School). Woodview Commons’ 100 rental townhouses were under construction as the City Guide went to press; though just beyond the AAPS boundary, they’ll have Ann Arbor addresses.

Abbot grads go to Forsythe Middle School and then Skyline High.

Bike lanes: Maple, Dexter Rd., and Miller are all major arterial streets with bike lanes. Portions of Jackson Ave. have bike lanes.

Walking: Abbot School has a Walk Score of 50. Walking on Maple to shopping is possible, but Dexter Rd. has no sidewalks and is dangerous for pedestrians.